


in our bedroom before the war

by witchy_country616



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-17 02:52:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9300848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchy_country616/pseuds/witchy_country616
Summary: “There is only one bed?” She asks, though her voice betrays no emotion.“I will sleep in the couch.” Richie answers without missing a beat.prompt: richie and santanico + sleeping in the same bed, set between s1 and s2.





	

**Author's Note:**

> And I'm baaack! Hopefully this means my inspiration is back for good. In any case, I hope you enjoy this small offerend. Oh, and the title is a play with Stars' song _in our bedroom after the war_ , because this takes place before the war. I'm so smart, I know, lol.

After eight hours of driving straight through Mexico and Texas, they have finally arrived in the outskirts of Houston, and Richie is ready to go to bed and sleep as soon as he opens the door to their new place.

“I know it’s not much. But with all the rangers in the state still looking for the Gecko brothers, we can’t risk going to a motel or something.” He apologizes, feeling strangely self-conscious of the old garage turned into command central and bedroom that his contact got them.

“It’s fine.” Santanico says, curiously looking around the place until she stops in front of the (only) bed. “There is only one bed?” She asks, though her voice betrays no emotion.

“I will sleep in the couch.” Richie answers without missing a beat. He hadn’t thought about the sleeping arrangements yet, but he doesn’t want to make their situation any more uncomfortable.

She turns to look at him with surprise all over her face; her mouth opens and closes quickly as she tries to figure out how to best answer him. Santanico has to admit that even though she wants to sleep with him (expected it, even), there’s a relief in not having to do it _now_ , so soon after leaving the Titty Twister. So, she only nods, agreeing with his decision.

“I’m gonna go take a shower, then…” She says, walking towards the bathroom and once she is out of the room, Richie sighs helplessly, unsure of the best course of action.

From the moment she had bitten him and he woke up as a _culebra_ , everything had felt right, like this is what he had been chasing his whole life, this new existence with Santanico. Once he had shared her blood, her very essence inside of him, that feeling of _rightness_ had become even stronger. However, he was also painfully aware that they were virtually strangers, having known each other ( _really_ known each other, not the Santanico that played tricks his head) for a grand total of two days. And at times, that awkwardness, common to strangers that somehow got stuck together, manifested itself full force. Just like now.

Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be anything he can do about it, except maybe trust his feelings and hope time will bring them closer.

So he makes up his bed on the couch and when Santanico comes back wearing only a sinful piece of lingerie, he pretends to be asleep and tries to not think about her.

***

Their makeshift sleep arrangements continue during the next days without either of them making a move to change it. The couch is small and extremely uncomfortable (she knows, she tried when he wasn’t there), but Richard never once complains about it and Santanico is pleasantly surprised. When they’re out, they have been behaving as boyfriend and girlfriend, holding hands and even kissing, yet they hadn’t shared the huge bed in their room. And she is once again sprawled alone on top of it while Richard sleeps on the sofa.

“Richie?” She calls him by his nickname for the first time and it’s enough to wake him from his light sleep.

“Yeah?” He answers in a sleepy voice.

“Are you awake?” She asks, even though she knows it’s a stupid question.

“I am now…” He answers dryly and Santanico notes to herself that he doesn’t like being woken up in the middle of the night, though it doesn’t stop her from talking.

“I can’t sleep.” She whines from the bed and he sighs. “Tell me something.” She demands, becoming animated with the idea.

“Like what?”

“Something I don’t know…?”

He pauses, thinking about what he can say that won’t be too intimate. “I had a dog when I was a kid. Her name was Peaches.”

“What happened to her?”

He shrugs his shoulders before remembering she can’t see him in the dark. “She did what dogs do. Ran away and we never heard of her since.”

“Sorry.” She says genuinely, thinking about the shy and abused boy Richie had been and how much he had probably loved the dog.

“It was a long time ago.” He tries to brush it off like it’s nothing, but she insists on the topic.

“Still, you must have liked her a lot.”

“I did.” He admits it. “She was the only friend I had as a kid.” He pauses and then adds as after-thought, feigning nonchalance. “Besides Seth, that is.”

Santanico doesn’t comment about his brother, she never does, and he can’t tell how grateful he is for it. Instead, she shares something about herself, “I never had a dog…it wasn’t common back then.” And testing for his reaction, she suggests, “maybe we could get a dog now.”

Richie laughs. “Who would train it and take it out on walks?”

She snorts. “You, obviously.” He turns to look at her and when their eyes meet, they both laugh.

They spend the rest of the night talking about random things, and for once, neither of them is worried about where this relationship is going.

***

They have settled into a routine. Go out, look out for Malvado’s operation hideouts, kill some people, come back to the garage, sleep each in their corner until she wakes him up in the middle of the night, forcing him to spend the rest of the time talking to her. But today she is prepared to change this.

She convinced Richie to go scouting the area alone, claiming she would be bored with nothing to do, and spent the day preparing their room. The light was turned off, candles were lit all around, and she had just gotten herself in her most delectable piece of black lingerie, sprawling herself on their bed just as Richard turns the doorknob.

“Sorry, I didn’t know you were…” He stumbles upon his words and she takes no small satisfaction from seeing her seduction is being effective.

“You don’t need to apologize, Richard.” She says, getting to up on her knees. In this position, they are face to face. Her hands go around his neck, locking him in an intimate embrace. “Don’t ever apologize.”

His own hands go around her waist, his fingers softly caressing her skin and bringing her closer to his body, despite his own mind telling him this is a bad idea; that it’s still too soon. “And you don’t have to do this”, he says, his voice kind but firm and she can’t keep the surprise from showing on her face for a moment.

“I know.” Santanico answers him, her voice barely above a whisper and her eyes locked on his. “I’m doing it because I want.” And then her lips softly touch his, still unsure, until his hands tighten their grip on her waist and he deepens the kiss.

***

He wakes up in the middle of the night with Santanico clinging to his arm and it makes him get up from the bed quickly to take his place on the couch before she wakes up.

***

“What are you doing?” It’s the middle of the night and instead of being by her side, Richie is on the other side of the room, diligently making his bed on the couch.

“Prepping for bed?” He answers as if it is the most normal thing in the world.

“In the couch.” She adds.

He shrugs his shoulders. “I didn’t want to impose.”

“You think you’re imposing?”

“It’s not like you have much choice, in terms of living arrangements.” He doesn’t look at her as he answers, focused at the task at hand and she realizes that he really believes in that. That she is with him because there is no other choice. How could she have been so blind this whole time?

She takes a breath and says clearly, “Richard, if I ever think you’re imposing, I’ll kick you out of bed myself. Now can you please come back here?” When he finally turns to look at her, she pets the side of the bed and he smiles, walking towards her and getting underneath the sheets.

“I was feeling cold.” She whispers on his ear when he settles next to her.

“I knew you had some ulterior motive.” He retorts, kissing her shoulder.

“Shut up.”

 

He never sleeps on the couch again.

 

The end.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Tell me what you think and remember kudos and comments are the way to a writers' heart.


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